Green light, yellow light: Routines to succeed on the tennis court

To be mentally organized on the court, a player must establish routines between points. These routines help the player to be fully focused in the moment on their plan for the next point with belief, commitment and positive energy. This allows them to play when they’re fully ready–and not before.

While routines are individual to the person, there are some commonalities among top tennis players. To develop consistency in their games, tennis players must establish two types of routines, which we’ll call ‘green’ and ‘yellow.’ The ‘green routine’ is a consistent pattern between points, while the ‘yellow routine’ helps a player learn how to deal with mistakes, anxiety and frustration effectively.

A green light means go, and creating a consistent routine between points breeds focus and performance. The ‘green routine’ allows a player to let go of the last point and focus on the current point, ready with full focus, energy, readiness and belief.

Four Steps to the ‘Green Routine’

1. Respond – This is an immediate response to the point: positive, neutral or negative. The goal is to stay positive or neutral. Turn your back, go to your strings, show positive body language, and walk briskly back behind the baseline. 

2. Recover – Take deep breaths and let go of the last point. You want to slow down your breathing and heart rate and quiet your mind.

3. Refocus – Use a towel, touch the fence, pick up the balls, walk around and focus on the current point. You should have full commitment to the current point, knowing your plan. Serve and return, + 1. Visualize and commit to it. Turn and walk to the line when you know what the plan is and are committed to it.

4. Ready – Bounce the ball a certain number of times. Sway back and forth, take a deep breath and lock in. You are now no longer thinking. Quiet your mind and trust what you are doing. 

    

A yellow light represents caution. This ‘yellow light’ scenario can be when a player is emotional, anxious, tight, down 0-30 on serve, up break point after missing the last four—any time they feel they need to overcome something to be fully ready to play the next point.  Something’s happening that I don’t want, but I’m not panicking. At the towel or fence, take a step back, take more time, and do more mental work to be fully prepared to play again. The ‘yellow light’ allows the player to formulate a determined response. An easy way to remember it? Breathe and believe. Bounce on your toes and get ready to play. 

Other ‘Yellow Routine’ Examples and Actions

• See, erase and replace the mistake. 

• Think of one, simple thing to do like moving your feet. 

• Walk away from the mistake and take deep breaths, letting go.

• Go to the towel and wipe away the last point. Refocus on your game plan.

• Touch the fence. Take deep breaths and reset mentally.